Chapter 16: The Terrifying Easterner

The heavy snow kept falling, piling up thickly on the rooftops and the ground.

The northern part of Borelly City was the mixed Dock District, the most chaotic, barbaric, violent, and dangerous area in Borelly City. In contrast, the Southern City Commercial District was the historic old commercial area, where one could find all sorts of exotic goods—Silk and tea from The East, tobacco and jewelry from overseas, weapons from Dwarves, artworks from Elves, and various other strange items.

Unlike the barbaric sights of the Dock District, the South City Commercial District was filled with a crafty and slippery atmosphere. The Dock District had plenty of tough guys willing to stab someone in the back or take a stab for a brother, while the Commercial District was prowled by all sorts of swindlers, cheats, thieves, and the like.

Early in the morning, hired hands sent by the City Hall and servants from the shops in the Commercial District were working together to clear away the overnight snow. Dressed in black, Vic was sitting on top of a tall building, hiding behind three thick chimneys, squinting as he watched a distant street.

As Lin Qi had requested, Vic had spent the past couple of days recruiting people to keep an eye on Cripple’s Tavern, hoping to spot the Easterner Jiang Yong and his group. Just as Vic was eating breakfast, word came that Jiang Yong had appeared alone in the Commercial District and was currently inside a silk shop inquiring about the prices of various silks and satins.

From his position, Vic could clearly see the century-old silk shop called Hunchback’s Shop at the street corner. The shop was enormous, about ten times the size of nearby shops, and was filled with Silk and other precious fabrics from The East.

Hunchback’s Shop in the Commercial District was just as famous as Cripple’s Tavern in the Dock District. One was The Hunchback, the other was Cripple—they were the two major figures of Borelly City’s Underworld, each commanding over a thousand thugs and scoundrels ready to do their bidding. They competed with each other yet also cooperated; they sabotaged each other but joined forces to deal with external threats, forming a strange symbiotic relationship.

For example, Cripple’s Tavern bought stolen goods cheaply from pirates, and then handed over Eastern goods like Silk and tea to Hunchback’s Shop for sale. Hunchback’s Shop strictly followed the Underworld rules and never acquired goods directly from pirates. They carefully guarded their respective territories, making sure their own subordinates never set foot in the other’s domain. However, if the Garrison Office or any outside gangs tried to target them, they would immediately unite.

Cripple and The Hunchback were the two iconic figures of Borelly City’s Underworld, legends that had been passed down for centuries.

Vic possessed enviably good eyesight. He could naturally see in the dark, and during the day, his vision range was more than double that of an ordinary person, covering nearly 180 degrees in front of him. All of this gave Vic excellent potential to become a top-tier thief or assassin.

Although he was over three hundred meters away from Hunchback’s Shop, Vic could clearly see everything happening inside the store.

Jiang Yong, wrapped in a black cloak with only his face visible, was inside Hunchback’s Shop asking about the prices of various silks and satins. He occasionally stroked the smooth, precious fabrics, a strange cold smile on his face.

Vic couldn’t understand what this odd Easterner was doing at Hunchback’s Shop. He came from The East, and his clothes were made of the finest brocade—why would he be interested in the silk at Hunchback’s Shop? Could he be conducting market research?

Like Lin Qi, Vic was also a student in Fifth University’s Finance and Accounting Program. The only way he could describe Jiang Yong’s behavior was as market research—perhaps this Easterner was investigating the profit margin of a bolt of silk transported from The East to the Western region.

Squinting as he watched Jiang Yong, Vic’s gaze swept over two thin, shabbily dressed men loitering in front of Hunchback’s Shop.

Those two were not from the Iron Fist Brotherhood; they were local scoundrels from the South City Commercial District—hooligans who would do anything for money. This was The Hunchback’s territory, so Vic didn’t want to use his own men to monitor Jiang Yong. Instead, he had only paid a deposit of ten copper coins to have these two ruffians keep an eye on Jiang Yong.

These two hooligans weren’t of much use; Vic himself was the main one keeping watch. They were just a stone he threw out to test Jiang Yong—a tool to see how Jiang Yong would react. He hoped they would catch Jiang Yong’s attention, so he could gauge Jiang Yong’s true strength based on his response.

Vic knew the nature of these scoundrels. Even if he hadn’t paid them ten copper coins to watch Jiang Yong, if they came across a big target like Jiang Yong on their own, they definitely wouldn’t let him go. He was looking forward to what would happen next. Was Jiang Yong a beast in sheep’s clothing, or a true fat sheep?

Jiang Yong spent nearly an entire hour inside Hunchback’s Shop. Vic, freezing on the rooftop with cold hands and feet, finally saw him step out of the shop, leisurely strolling forward with his hands behind his back along a narrow alley. Vic wiped his runny nose, cursed Jiang Yong’s mother under his breath, and then followed from the rooftops along the street, keeping a distant tail.

With his naturally excellent eyesight, Vic could monitor Jiang Yong’s every move.

The two scoundrels didn’t disappoint Vic. Shivering from the cold, they followed Jiang Yong all the way into a remote alley. To Vic’s delight, the two thugs exchanged a glance, drew their daggers, and began sneaking up on Jiang Yong.

From over three hundred meters away, Vic smiled triumphantly as he watched the two scoundrels closing in on Jiang Yong. The alley was deserted and secluded—a perfect spot for robbery and murder. If Jiang Yong didn’t show enough strength, Vic wouldn’t mind finishing him off with a Crossbow Bolt.

Vic let out a weird chuckle and was about to go into stealth mode when suddenly his whole body shook as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. Goosebumps covered his skin, and he was so frightened that his hands and feet turned cold, not daring to move.

Hundreds of meters away, in the alley, Jiang Yong let out a sinister, cold laugh. His body was enveloped in a faint purple glow as he rushed backward like a wild horse, slamming both elbows hard into the chests of the two scoundrels.

The two scoundrels didn’t even have time to cry out. Their bodies exploded directly into countless tiny pieces of flesh and blood, which sprayed outward. As their flesh and blood flew out, it quickly froze into ice fragments, turning into a large cloud of white frost spraying backward.

Jiang Yong sneered mockingly, lightly patted his hands, and then continued forward with his hands behind his back as if nothing had happened.

Large beads of cold sweat broke out on Vic’s forehead. He was so scared that his legs went weak, and he slumped down behind a chimney.

“Damn it, this Easterner… he’s a Celestial Knight!”